Thoughts on Life, Love, Politics, Hypocrisy and Coming Out in Mid-Life

Friday, June 16, 2017

Special Counsel Follows the Russia/Trump Money

Two things seem to motivate Donald Trump: (i) a seemingly endless lust for money and (ii) satiating his narcissism. The two are obviously tied together since Trump apparently thinks having money erases the fact that he is an ill inform vulgarian who likes to sexually harass women. A review of Trump's business dealings in New York City underscores that he views himself above the law and that he has no reluctance about dealing with unsavory characters since as Mafia figures and Russian oligarchs/mob figures, the constant motivation being to get his hands on more money and/or prop up his business ventures. Now, as part of the Russiagate probe, Special Counsel Robert Mueller appears to be hard at work tracing the money flow of Trump, Jared Kushner and others of Trump's Russia loving minions. Money laundering is suspected and, if proven, could not only document collusion with Russia, but also be the criminal offense needed to document "high crimes" for impeachment. A column in Esquire looks at what could be a most enlightening investigation. Here are highlights:

I'd say that shit
just got real around the White House on Wednesday night, but shit
hasn't been anything but real there ever since the country determined it would
be best led for the next four to eight years by a vulgar talking yam. As
everyone who follows Preet Bharara on the electric Twitter machine—and why
don't you, by the way?—knew
was coming, the news that special counsel Robert Mueller had rolled out the railroad artillery
broke well after the close of business.Let's see if there's any solace to be found over here
with the folks at The New York Times.
Oops, no, shit's gotten pretty real there, too, via RawStory:

"A
former senior official said Mr. Mueller's investigation was looking at
money laundering by Trump associates," a source told the Times. "The
suspicion is that any cooperation with Russian officials would most
likely have been done in exchange for some kind of financial payoff, and
that there would have been an effort to hide the payoffs, most likely
by routing them through offshore banking centers." A separate
investigation into Russia has also reportedly focused on potential use
of offshore banking centers to launder money. In April, House
Intelligence Committee member Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) visited Cyprus, which "has a reputation as a laundromat for the Russians who are trying to avoid sanctions."

It
is now painfully clear that Mueller has opened the ballgame on the Trump
organization's entire business model, which always has been aromatic but which
now has become entangled with the intelligence community, the institutions of
government, and the national interest, as interpreted by Robert Mueller. He
isn't some roofing specialist that you can stiff and then drag through the
courts until he can't afford the trip any more. He isn't someone you can scare
off with your usual gang of billable-hour button men. He isn't some dingy
Russian banker who can float you a loan to tide you over. He is honest and
respected and relentless, and the only way you're going to get rid of him is to
fire him. In a way, the country is daring you to do that, just to see if you
have the stones for what comes next, and (possibly) as the last excuse it needs
to insist on a new president. Go ahead. Make our day.

For
a long time, I didn't believe that the president would bring all this down on
himself just to hide the fact that he isn't as rich as he says he is, but now
I'm less sure. I think, maybe, that's what's at the bottom of everything else.
I think he isn't that rich, so he and the family business allegedly needed
freshly laundered Russian money to keep the business—and his image—afloat.
Then, of course, the bill came due from Moscow, and that required another set
of malodorous transactions which, in turn, required that they be concealed by
another set of malodorous transactions, including the firing of James Comey,
and so on.

God,
the tax returns. If he'd only released the tax returns, and the people had
gotten a look at how he does business and how much he's really worth, it's
likely none of this happens.

In
any event, it appears that we're all going to get a crash course in the crooked
side of high finance—like we need another one of those—and in identifying all
the various fauna in the wild kingdom of the international real estate game. I
love those teachable moments. Truly, I do.

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Out gay attorney in a committed relationship; formerly married and father of three wonderful children; sometime activist and political/news junkie; survived coming out in mid-life and hope to share my experiences and reflections with others.
In the career/professional realm, I am affiliated with Caplan & Associates PC where I practice in the areas of real estate, estate planning (Wills, Trusts, Advanced Medical Directives, Financial Powers of Attorney, Durable Medical Powers of Attorney); business law and commercial transactions; formation of corporations and limited liability companies and legal services to the gay, lesbian and transgender community, including birth certificate amendment.

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